Is it safe to delete Simulator devices?
The simulated devices you run apps on from Xcode, each with its own installed apps, data and settings.
Usually safe
It can be recreated, but it takes a download, a reinstall or the tool's own command.
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What it is
Every simulator you create or run from Xcode is a folder here that holds its installed apps, their data and its settings, so the folder grows with each simulator and each app you test. Simulators stay after you remove their runtime or update Xcode; they're then listed as unavailable and can't start. Device Hub in Xcode removes the simulators you choose, and Xcode's command-line tool, simctl, can delete all unavailable ones at once.
If it's removed
Everything on a removed simulator is deleted, including its apps, their data and its settings. You can create a new simulator of the same kind, but it starts empty.
What to do instead
In Xcode, choose Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Device Hub, then Control-click a simulator you no longer need and choose Remove. In Xcode 26, choose Window > Devices and Simulators, click Simulators, then Control-click a simulator and choose Delete.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it, with these steps. The app doesn't remove it for you.
Sources
- developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/managing-your-simulated-and-physical-devices-in-device-hub
- github.com/AvdLee/Xcode-Disk-Cleanup-Agent-Skill/blob/main/xcode-disk-cleanup/references/simulators.md
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.